Joss Whedon Directs Avengers Film – Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Takes Comic Book Heroes to the Big Screen

I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of Joss Whedon‘s work. Read: was embarrassingly obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So imagine my elation at the news of a new superhero flick by the director and screenwriter.

The Avengers chronicles a band of Marvel comic-book heroes that do what else? Save the world. The cast is packed with big names: Robert Downey Jr (as Iron Man), Samuel L. Jackson (as Nick Fury), and Scarlett Johansson (as Black Widow).

His past work in the cult hit Buffy may have fans wondering if Whedon has sold out to the big name sci-fi franchises. Buffy‘s popularity was due to its subversion of supernatural and science-fiction norms, defying audience expectations.

However, Whedon says The Avengers experience has been liberating. He hasn’t had to deal with the frustrations that come with lesser known material and not-so-famous actors. “You get all these pieces, and it’s a puzzle, but it’s a puzzle that comes together,” explains Whedon in speaking about the process of building stories from household names and existing plot lines.

Whatever the supernatural material he writes, it’s obvious that Whedon is a fanboy himself, bringing his own joy to the work. Whedon isn’t shy about sharing his love of sci-fi with his fans, and took part in an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit yesterday.

Keep your eyes peeled for the superhero flick coming to theaters on May 4.